First two months with LDR3.V25 (kit)

The LDR3.V25 has been gracing my stereo system for a couple of months or so. I purchased the kit, and it is fairly easy and straight forward to assemble - no cursing, although I do suggest some sort of magnification if your vision is not 20/20. Casework is simple, and strong. Form follows function, and Tortuga does not waste any of the purchaser's money on bling - thank you for that, Morten.

Sound quality? There really isn't much to say - the Tortuga has no sound of it's own. Several reviews, including comments in this forum, have said it all. Feed it from a good source, and to a neutral-sounding amp and competent speakers, and you will hear music as the performer intended you to hear it. After experimenting with several impedance settings, I've left it set at the default 20K. My previous preamp, a thirty-year-old Meitner PA-6i was (and is) excellent in all respects; the Tortuga is significantly better.

The remote control system is proving to be a joy, even better than the excellent remote on the Meitner. It doesn't matter where I point the Apple remote, the Tortuga always recognizes the commands.

System context: Sources are a Korg DS DAC 10R, and a Sony DD turntable with MA electret cartridge (phono pre is Meitner). Amplifier is low-gain (15dB) First Watt F5 clone with 25wpc. Speakers are Martin Logan Source electrostats, which are 90dB efficient. Room is 16' by 24', and seating is 9' from the speakers. I listen with the volume control on the Tortuga in the 50 to 75 range.

Lest my comments above be mistaken for a lukewarm reception of the Tortuga, let me be clear. I love it! First listen after completing assembly was to LPs, with the turntable feeding into the Meitner's phono section and from the Tape Out (fixed level) jacks into the Tortuga. Sound quality is noticeably better than through the Meitner's own line stage, top to bottom, with a veil removed and better controlled bass very apparent. There have been many, many goosebump moments, with familiar albums often taking on a new beauty thanks to the Tortuga's superb performance. Make no mistake, this is a relatively inexpensive preamp with exceptional accuracy that does not in any way add to or subtract from the original recording, IMHO.

But ... I read it again (before your post today), and realized, this is probably the best compliment that a reviewer could give for an audio product = total transparency. Ya, the initial review was not filled with syrupy praise, accolades, and hyperbole like many other reviews, which is why I had to reframe my mind, then read the review again with a better understanding of what was being said.

Lest my comments above be mistaken for a lukewarm reception of the Tortuga, let me be clear. I love it! First listen after completing assembly was to LPs, with the turntable feeding into the Meitner's phono section and from the Tape Out (fixed level) jacks into the Tortuga. Sound quality is noticeably better than through the Meitner's own line stage, top to bottom, with a veil removed and better controlled bass very apparent. There have been many, many goosebump moments, with familiar albums often taking on a new beauty thanks to the Tortuga's superb performance. Make no mistake, this is a relatively inexpensive preamp with exceptional accuracy that does not in any way add to or subtract from the original recording, IMHO.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad the kit worked out for you. The un-veiled clarity, transparency and absence of its own coloration are the spot-on characateristics of our LDR passive preamps. Enjoy!